Country music has a target on its back. In this acidic moment in the culture war, country music has become an A1 priority for the individuals looking to re-educate America away from anything wholesome or traditional, which country music distinctly falls in the category of. And as the only genre of popular American music that owes most of its origins to Caucasians and the American South, it makes country music an especially desirable target for cultural realignment, if not outright annihilation if it refuses to rehabilitate.

Saving Country Music has been sounding the alarm bells about this impending issue for a while, with some surely believing this concern is alarmist, if not of outright paranoid. But the latest evidence that country music is in the crosshairs comes from a narrative on the website Longreads written by Jessica Wilkerson, who is an assistant professor of history and southern studies at the University of Mississippi.

The lengthy, and well-written autobiographical piece delves into the perspective of a young girl originally from rural East Tennessee who was sent to school in New York, and is attempting to resolve the intellectual conflict inside herself as someone born into Southern culture, but educated on the East Coast to question Southern norms and the region’s cultural constructs. For her dissertation, Jessica Wilkerson chooses to zoom in specifically on Dolly Parton as the focal point of her cultural dilemma, along with Dolly’s amusement park Dollywood.

The article itself is a very interesting study into how the disillusion with the American South takes place. Wilkerson explains her upbringing in rural east Tennessee, her home life, time with her grandparents, trips to Dollywood, and her admiration for Dolly Parton personally, until she begins to re-evaluate Dolly Parton, shifting her opinion of Dolly from a Southern icon to an artifice of Southern idyllic “whiteness.” The article is not a direct takedown of Dolly Parton, it’s more about the dilemma felt, re-evaluating her legacy. But it definitely sets the table for people to severely question the authenticity of Dolly Parton’s efforts, the true aim and measure of her altruism and musical contributions, and uses it all as a springboard to try and dispel many truths of Southern heritage.

While giving credit to Dolly Parton for some of her “feminist” sentiments through her music (“9 to 5, et al), the primary rebuke of Dolly Parton has to do with her race, or “whiteness” as the article repeatedly states. One problem with the article is that it takes on face value that “whiteness” is implicity evil, or at least severely undesirable, without really stating why this is. Jessica Wilkerson also goes after Dollywood as a fake, fairy-tale facade of what the American South actually is, criticizes Dolly Parton specifically for not paying her employees well, while peppering all of these observations with tidbits of Parton’s and Dollywood’s previous references to the Confederacy (all of which have been eliminated over the years), implying racism is simmering beneath the entire Dolly Parton construct.

Here are some quotations from Jessica Wilkerson’s Longreads article, not selected by Saving Country Music, but specifically selected out by the Longreads’ editor as bullet points or capstones of the article’s assertions.

Because my grandma is right — inquiry is seductive — I needed to question Dolly Parton’s meaning in my and our lives. I needed to confront Dolly Parton’s blinding, dazzling whiteness.

Carson’s farm [Jessica Wilkerson’s grandfather] was, in a sense, his own version of Dollywood. In my family, his is a story of a noble whiteness, where hard work alone — not benefits, not luck, not an economy that was made precisely for him — framed his success.

I am one of those white, class-conscious feminists who has uncritically pointed to Parton’s creative work as evidence of her progressive politics. I avoided an obvious question: What does she take from and expect of the workers tasked with building and maintaining Dollywood?

Dolly Parton promised jobs to her community; she did not promise well-paying jobs.

Dollywood has helped to make Parton one of the richest women in the music industry, all to a soundtrack of growing up poor.

Her Appalachia is pure and white and heroic; her Appalachia is drained of white America’s sins.

Dolly Parton has built her empire on and with the debris of old, racist amusements and wrapped it in working-class signifiers and feminist politics. I ignored that fact for a long time because it didn’t fit the script of the feminist, working-class heroine I had conjured.

There are numerous, inherent flaws in the perspective Jessica Wilkerson presents on Dolly Parton and Dollywood. First, of course Dollywood is an unrealistic dramatization of the American South. It’s an amusement park for children. Dollywood is meant to be an escape, and an entertainment zone, not a historical reconstruction or a museum rendition of the region that must present the South amid all of its previous sins. In previous era when Dollywood did make references to the Confederacy, it was criticized for it, and eventually eliminated them. Now it’s being criticized for trying to hide the region’s Confederate past.

Jessica Wilkerson claims that Dolly Parton is not paying her employees equitably, but bases this opinion off the very severe benchmark that one employee must be able to fully support a family of four by themselves on an hourly, entry-level position at the resort, when much of the entry level positions at Dollywood are staffed by teenagers, seasonal employees, people with other jobs, or with spouses also supporting the household.

And though the article does mention Dolly Parton’s assistance through the My People Fund to residents in Gatlinburg and Sevier County near where Dollywood is located after the devastating 2016 wildfires, it glosses over just how big that commitment from Dolly Parton was. A study released in November of 2017 verified that Parton’s efforts went to distributing over $8 million dollars to families who lost their homes, or were affected by the fires in the area.

Another one of the assertions of the Longreads article is that Dolly Parton is helping to keep in place the poverty and ignorance of east Tennessee and the American South through the facade she has built through her career and Dollywood. Though the article does mention Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library project, which donated it’s 100 millionth book in February, the article downplays these efforts as symbolic, instead of articulating important statistics about Dolly’s altruism to let the public judge the true impact.

Jessica Wilkerson portrays Dolly’s charitable efforts as a way to hide from her evilness and racism, or “whiteness.” The article also doesn’t mention many of Dolly Parton’s other philanthropic pursuits at all, like her work on wildlife conservation, her effort against animal cruelty, or the funding she’s provided for HIV/AIDS research and treatment. And though Dolly is continuously portrayed as a Southerner and white, it glosses over Parton’s efforts that would claim her very much as a progressive, including her embrace the African American and LBGTQ communities.

Are some of Dolly Parton’s charitable efforts just as much about the marketing of her image and brand as they are the ultimate affect on society? Of course they are. Is Dolly Parton without fault, either as a human, a Southerner, a country music star, or a global citizen? Of course not. Does Jessica Wilkerson and Longreads make some fair points about how we shouldn’t let the cloak of celebrity blind us from realities? Sure it does.

But Dolly Parton is beloved in east Tennessee due to all she has done for the local and regional community and its economy for very appropriate and verifiable reasons. Dolly’s appreciated throughout the South for her leadership and altruism, and as a shining example of a rags to riches story, and as an example of how to live as a noble citizen when wealth and privilege finds you. She’s revered in country music as a queen, and quite possibly is the most important woman in this history of the genre. She’s cherished by the gay community as an icon and a champion. She’s one of the few American’s loved universally in a very contentious period in history. And worldwide Dolly Parton is canonized as of of the greatest global citizens and entertainers in history.

Yet all of this is not the reason Dolly Parton is insulated from criticism, it’s the reason she has become a target by certain misguided individuals. Since Dolly is from the South, because she is white, and because she challenges the notion that “whiteness” is inherently evil, her place on a pedestal as a role model must be challenged by the intellectual elite.

The effort here is not just to rewrite the biography of Dolly Parton. The effort here is to deconstruct an icon of the American South in an effort to gain ground in the culture war. But what Jessica Wilkerson and others fail to ponder while they look to erode everything country music fans and inhabitants of east Tennessee hold dear by deposing one of its heroes, is what will replace their cultural identity once the myth behind Dolly Parton has been dispelled? Who will they look up to as a role model?

Of course the history of The South is filled with unrequitable sin that has justifiably stained its history, and they atrocities should never be hidden from view, or washed away. But to admonish individuals simply based off of their “whiteness” will not result in the eradication of racism. Quite the opposite, it can create a flight by some to tribalism, if not outright white supremacy, while others who are stripped of their heritage and cultural identity, and robbed of their local heroes turn to drugs or other vices to fill the void left where their pride and self-worth once was. They also often turn to cultural appropriation to find identity not indigenous to their region or ancestry after their own native heritage has been admonished and lampooned by popular cultural and intellectualism.

What does Jessica Wilkerson suggest replace the cultural identity for the people of east Tennessee after they become disillusioned with their patron saint of Dolly Parton? Should they fill that void with debilitating white guilt? Should they replace it with New York-based university-level intellectualism thy can’t afford, and have no access to? Part of the beauty of the South has always been the simplicity of its people. They like Dolly Parton. They like Dollywood. Infecting them with lifelong guilt for their “whiteness” is just a way to rob them of happiness, and will only result in exacerbating the social problems that permeate regions like east Tennessee, with institutions such as Dollywood, and individuals like Dolly Parton being one of the few ways up, or out.

And this won’t stop with Dolly Parton. This isn’t even the beginning, or an extreme example. Throughout academia, the effort to erode or eradicate any and all institutions and individuals tied to rural and middle America as a proxy war against the Trump Administration is underway. And while those efforts may be noble in the minds of many, they should stay isolated to the political realm. Because Dolly Parton is one of the precious few personalities left that every American, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, region of origin, social status, or political affiliation, can all look up to, find inspiration from, and be entertained by, and together.

We may not be able agree on much. But if we can’t even agree on Dolly Parton, then we truly are fucked.

I have always loved Dolly. I read this article but the last words shocked me. Why did the author have to use profanity at the end of this article? What kind of person are you?Those words say it for you. I pray you change you vocabulary.

I apologize if some were offended by the last word. Others have said the last sentence was their favorite in the article. I didn’t mean to offend anyone, but I was very passionate about this topic, and wanted to underscore just how ridiculous and diseased it was go go after Dolly Parton, and in that instance, I felt only a swear word was worthy of conveying my passion. I’ll wash my mouth out with soap and watch myself next time 🙂

Trigger don’t apologize for something like this; it’s beneath you. If people want to have a good debate on the issues, great. It makes for a lively comments section. But to say they’re “shocked” and ask what kind of person you are… that’s just the workings of an attention-seeking half wit.

Also, the F word is awesome. It’s my second favorite cuss word after c**t (See what I did there, I protected Eartha’s easily offended eyes).

“I apologize if some were offended by the last word.” Is this the same Trigger?
And a smiley yet? Ready to admit fault yet, then, about the other article? (and that it took me four tries to get you to change it, where all I got was “I did nothing wrong” ?). Hard to see this when I received a very different reply.

When someone puts the legacy of Dolly Parton on trial and tries to destroy it, this is a country music issue. I can’t imagine a more imperative charge of a site called “Saving Country Music” than offering a fair, reasonable rebuttal to the attempt to destroy what may be the most important woman in country music history.

Actually I live in TN near Pigeon Forge and think the world of Dolly. What she did after the fires was more than amazing. I am quite certain Dolly is not paying much attention to this nonsense. She is very secure in TN and is probably one of the greatest women not just in country music but in her community that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

I live over here, too, and I love Dolly as a human being and as a musician.

Glad to see that this tortured genius womynist college teacher, who, incidentally, employs no one, has left East Tennessee, I hope for good.

It would be hard to think of any one who has had 10% of the positive impact on our area as Dolly has.

I’m sorry this college professor is so unhappy in her own white skin.

I was born white in East St. Louis, Illinois, which is not widely known to be a bastion of whiteness.

Unlike the author, I grew up in highly racially polarized cities.

I have had many of the types of entry level jobs that Dollywood offers, and I was happy to have them, even though they didn’t pay enough for me to have a house in the suburbs and a country club membership.

I wonder how many of these types of jobs the author has had. I can certainly guess.

I’m not into erasing history.

And I didn’t get the white guilt memo.

We didn’t have the money for me to go to school up East, so I got my 3 degrees from public Southern universities.

So who in the hell really cares what this pseudo-intellectual prima donna thinks about Dolly?

There are so many false premises being accepted as legit these days, several of which Trigger has apparently accepted and uses in these articles, that it makes it difficult to even discuss this stuff without first correcting all false notions.

An example of a huge, glaring false premise, would be the idea that slavery and racism belong to the South, instead of belonging to the Democrat Party (I’m an independent. The GOP has problems, too.)

I’ll say this though, Dolly is my favorite female singer in Country Music history, and I consider her calling herself a Christian to be utterly absurd considering her approval of homosexuality.

Anybody who has pride in anything that they haven’t accomplished, is a moron.

Ok you need to calm down especially with the Christian angle. We are all running individual races, let’s not get carried away judging others. She loves homosexuals not because it is right or wrong but because it’s a commandment “love your neighbor as yourself”.

Actually, it has EVERYTHING to do with what you said. The Bible says that we are to love others as He loved us. There were no exceptions noted there, real or implied. I’m a Christian and I have many gay friends. I love THEM, not their gayness. We have conversations about this subject. We each have our own views, we just agree to disagree. God loves ALL people, with NO reservations. Who am I to do less that He?? Just remember the saying, hate the sin but love the sinner.

Let’s talk this out Honky. First of all, the Democratic party WAS the South in that era. And we were all racist to some degree in those days, so I don’t think we should waste our energy trying to convince anyone that a significant portion of the South was innocent.

And as far as homosexuality, Jesus didn’t feel it was important enough to condemn it, and Paul was a legalistic Pharisee who couldn’t handle the Savior’s liberalism. I don’t pay any mind to any doctrine in the Epistles that I don’t agree with, because I don’t agree that they spoke for God. If we followed Paul’s advice, the Freedmen in 1864 would have been compelled to go back to their former owners to honor them. Stick with the Gospels, and you’ll shed some of that bigotry.

In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”
And the Law He is speaking of very clearly condemns it. He never spoke the words I condemn homesuality, because there was no need to. He also never specifically confirmed pedophilia, necrophilia, or bestiality, but would you say he was for them? No. That’s why picking and choosing what verses you believe from the Bible doesn’t work. It’s either all of it or none. And I apologize for calling you a fool.

It’s cool. I tend to be a dick on this site as well. I figured that’s where you were going with your argument, and the only problem I have with that reasoning is that there are a lot of laws in the Old Law that aren’t being followed. According to the Old Testament we’re supposed to stone adulterers and queers and bury our semen and menstrual rags in the sand to stay clean. It’s more about where an individual is comfortable drawing the line. For me I draw the line in front of anything that limits a soul’s ability to love.

Ok I just went and read Matt. 5:17. If you keep reading in verse 19 it says that if you break those commandments you will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. So it looks like the days are at least gonna get wristbands. And I about shit myself when I read the last part of verse 22 lol. I guess that’s why I got the apology for calling me a fool, eh? So, it looks like the only group or individual in danger of eternal fire and brimstone is you, sir!

Ok I just went and read Matt. 5:17. If you keep reading in verse 19 it says that if you break those commandments you will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. So it looks like the gays are at least gonna get wristbands. And I about shit myself when I read the last part of verse 22 lol. I guess that’s why I got the apology for calling me a fool, eh? So, it looks like the only group or individual in danger of eternal fire and brimstone is you, sir!

Not a fundalamentalis. A Calvanist. So in actualuity, just a true Bible believer. Maybe if you’d read the Bible and believe what it says instead of making it say what you believe, you’d come to the same conclusions.

You’ve already showed that you do exactly the same thing. You’re picking and choosing which laws you’re going to follow from the Old Testament. If you actually did what you say I should do, you would basically be an Orthodox Jew who believes in Jesus Christ. That’s actually a thing, so go check them out and they’ll show you how to actually do what you claim to do.

Fundamentalism isn’t a denomination, non-denomintation, or a sect. It’s a viewpoint and approach to scripture that any Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, Calvinist, Muslim, Jew, etc. can have. The only problem I have with that way of thinking is that it makes those people think they have the prescription for salvation. There’s an arrogance and elitism inherent in that type of thinking that is disgusting. You can keep your predestination and go have fun with your WASPy elected boyfriends and you can all get under the cloak of righteousness and circle jerk each other to the big frat party in the sky.

You have made it very clear that you have no idea what you are talking about. That’s why you feel the need to defend yourself so vehemently and are lashing out in anger. It doesn’t bother me. I’m not an elitest. You just have no clue what Calvinism actually is. Its not a religion. Like I said, if you would read the Bible and believe it, you might would understand.

Well, Trig keeps deleting my religious response, so let me try a different tact. You say I don’t know anything, but your argument collapsed as soon as it was fact checked. I’m not just gonna “believe” because you want me to. That’s groupthink and quasi-brainwashing — and just one reason why the institution-which-shall-not-be-named-on-this-site is collapsing.

The Bible is a bunch of made up nonsense anyway. A crutch for weak-minded “men” who have never even attempted to think for themselves thus needing scripture to do it for them. Cowards. Once you stop believing bullshit, only then can you truly be free.

If you’re gonna delete comments because of religion you are denying the significance of religion in country music and doing a disservice to the genre. Whether you like it or not, politics and religion go hand in hand, so if you want to avoid another comment shitstorm like this, stop writing political articles with topics that will draw a religious perspective.

There sure are a lot of likes on some of these comments, so I think some people are interested. Your “trying to have it both ways” is the real bullshit. You post these culturally divisive articles to get clicks, and then try to guide the narrative within your own arbitrary parameters, and then you get upset when people call you out on it. I can’t count the number of times that you’ve claimed to hate politics and yet you keep posting these stupid fucking articles about obscure leftists because you know it’s your bread and butter. Stop getting hufflepuffed about the traffic that pays your bills and allows you to do what you do. It makes you look like a hypocrite.

And Honky’s homophobic comment about Dolly Parton not being a real Christian cuz she supports gays is why we’re arguing about this. You have no problem letting homophobic comments stay and then you delete responses to said homophobia because they’re of a religious nature? Deleting this whole fucking thread is the only deleting that would be fair and justified.

“They” are the people who have specifically targeted country music as an institution of middle America that must be eroded or destroyed to switch the power of governance in the United States. This isn’t just one article, one author, or one instance. There are scores of these articles being published weekly, with other articles and journalists specifically goading other journalists and intellectuals to take on the country music institution, attempt to remake it in their own image, and destroy the elements that refuse to reconcile. This is nothing short of an existential threat to country music.

Yes. I know all that. The question was rhetorical. So, stop apologizing and allowing them to continually flog you for being who you are. They raised the black flag, so afford them no quarter. Tell them that you are proud of your ancestors and their lofty accomplishments, that you owe them nothing, that they are worthless, deviant wastrels, and that if they don’t like that, they are free to kneel and bob.

Seems like a lot of fuss over someone putting money back into the community from which she came. Maybe someone should compare the economic impact she has had on her hometown to what Luke Bryan has had on Leesburg Georgia, or Blake Shelton on Tishomingo Oklahoma.
The quote I like from the article is ‘And those jobs, anchored to place, could never be packed up and shipped to another country.’ So at least Dolly didn’t start some clothing line based on Chinese sweatshops. (At least I assume/hope she didn’t. I didn’t peruse her holdings portfolio.)
Nice article, Trigger. Good catch on calling out this nonsense excuse for some Doctor of Philosophy to publish something for the masses that might have been better kept for private reflection.

By making this ridiculous presumption of relevance between this woman’s single, misguided thesis paper and the entirety of undergraduate education is simply perpetuating the validity of the fallacy that is a “divided” American culture with an absolutely assinine sweeping generalization. Before trying to posit a theory, try to remember the fallacies of Logic 101 (that you obviously slept through) and avoid them. Your comment reads as if you are condemning higher education, which if true, makes you out to sound like one of the most ignorant people on the planet, let alone our country. Or, if you truly do believe with your advanced economic degree that the USA can prosper by returning to a pre-industrialized, agrarian economy with an uneducated workforce (a la your obviously romanticized delusion of biblical era society), please explain your theory. I’d love to hear your genius. Otherwise, let’s take a page from Trigger’s articles, call out the individual and his/her mistakes in a constructive, logical manner, and have a civilized debate. Otherwise, if more people like you would shut the f*ck up in public discourse (ie. calling people idiotic names like “looney”), we may be able to start to heal the divide in our nation, rather than perpetuate it. And, by the way, the following line from Trigger’s article is another bad sweeping generalization and should be omitted: “Part of the beauty of the south has always been the simplicity of its people.” Although I agree with most of his rebuttal.

Christian, that is preposterous and it is very apparent that you are an ignoramus. Your failure to understand the widespread cancer that has invaded academia clearly demonstrates an obvious denial of the current hostile environment affecting disenfranchised young white men. Ergo, you should refrain from posting such frivolous statements. Ta ta for now.

Okay, Christian H., I have an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina in Religious Studies and double minor in Philosophy and Poli Sci. I have a master’s degree from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Your entire comment is one of the most bullshit comments I’ve read in a long time, so congratulations on that. Tell me, what do you want to debate? How about Foucault’s theory of the panopticon in ‘Discipline and Punish’? I wrote a couple papers on that. Or, take your pick.

When the leftists start going after good people like Dolly (who I’m reasonably certain is a closet lefty herself, she just happens to be sane) you just know the backlash is going to come in a very big way.

1) At least in intentions, they are trying to do the right thing. Most of us agree that racism is and especially has been evil. In doing so though, sometimes – as evidenced here – they lose the forrest for the trees, IMO.
2) It’s essentially self survivial. If you are in the humanities arm of academia, it is essentially impossible to do anything but bow to leftism. Your career would literally be over if you didn’t. So, what you get, is critics, in particular white cultural critics, bending over backwards to distance themselves from their “whiteness,” and in the process they are ok with stepping on each other, or their former idols, to do so. They HAVE to.

The irony is that it’s impossible to know what someone’s real intentions are, when there is a figurative gun pointed at their heads.

I am a White liberal & I can assure you that I am not self-hating & neither are other White liberals. What’s more, unlike the ridiculous contention in this article, we love Ms. Parton. She is a talented, wonderful & compassionate person & no one is targeting her in any way except for tickets for her concerts. We are in an election campaign & so some are trying to exploit fear & suspicion, since they have nothing else to offer — & that is why this absurd article appears. Ms. Parton does wonderful things in support of public education, those who are poor & disabled, women’s independence, LGBT rights, religious tolerance & understanding, etc., so instead of being targeted by us, she has our great admiration. But, those who do not support the same things have decided to exploit her fame & misrepresent things to manipulate the public. I am sorry you believed such a reprehensible lie & sorry you have such an inaccurate view of liberals!

You are right that this is not the view of ALL liberals, but this sort of thing has found its way into much of the left’s rhetoric and ideology. If you haven’t noticed that, then you’re not really paying attention. I’m saying that as someone who has voted mostly democrat until now.

Wow. What a lot to unpack. So… the article at hand… first of all, it is way too long. “Ain’t No One Got Time for That.” It is on a site called Long Reads, so I guess I will let that go. Anyways, I have lots of feelings about this article. I am an East Tennessee native who is of similar age and demographic as the writer. I ate brunch several times at the Hyatt with my parents as a special treat and got to ride the glass elevators with much excitement. There is no reason to look down on a fine place that provided many families good memories.

Let me make no bones about it- Dolly is the Patron Saint of East Tennessee to many. My children received books from the Imagination Library. I volunteered for her Smoky Mountain recovery efforts after the wildfires. Sevier County is in many ways troubled. It brings in millions of dollars via the tourist industry (I used to work in it) but more than a quarter of its residents live below the poverty line. However, this is not Dolly’s fault. The fault is that the town does not have industry other than tourism, and it is a seasonal business. I was taught that you stack all your money from the leaf peepers in October and then lay low until spring (even though we would get a holiday pop). Jobs at Parton’s industries are seen as some of the more desirable for lower skilled workers.

Dolly is not any more “white” than most people in the area. Yes, the park was more racially insensitive in the 80s, but every time something has been brought to Dolly’s attention, it at least seems that she makes updates. I think if someone were offended by anything she did, Dolly would truly be upset. If anything, I think Dolly and her businesses are a good representation of the changing times and increased sensitivity to others. If you want to look for downright racist things in Sevier County, they are there, but they are brought in by part by carpetbaggers looking to make a buck off people who come in expecting Sevierville to just be a monolithic “South” as opposed to the beautiful region that it is.

However, Trigger, you are fearmongering a bit with your headline. Trust me, if “they” come for Dolly, East Tennessee will take care of its queen.

Dolly Parton is actually very liberal, she always has been. She always made sure to include many races in her performances. I agree with this article, don’t go after Dolly, she has no hate for anyone and never has.

We’re living in a time where mentally ill people with completely insane opinions and suppositions are being taken very seriously. There is some sort intrinsic evil in being white, taking drugs and mutilating your body can enable you to change your gender, we can let anyone who wants to come to our country to come on in and there won’t be any negative consequences.

With people no longer being taught critical thinking skills and instead to live off of their “feelings” fewer and fewer people can step back and look at things like this and simply conclude, “that’s crazy.”

Dolly and her legacy will be around a lot longer than this hack’s scribblings ever will. This kind of leftist, bullshit hand-wringing is so out of touch with the average American, it will only be taken seriously by this “professor’s” little circle jerk of fellow acedemics. As for Dollywood, it is consistently ranked as one of the top independently-owned amusement parks in the country, so I think the employees are probably being treated pretty fairly. I hope this woman enjoys her 15 seconds of fame at Dolly Parton’s expense.

Dolly is often referred to as the “Saint of Appalachia” in Appalachia. It’s pretty damn ridiculous for her to be the subject of this goulash. I’d wager the federal deficit that Dolly has done more good than bad for society. What a time for polarization.

Why does this surprise anyone? I noticed this in the 80’s/early 90’s when arch-lliberals like Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Gore Vidal, Eugene Genovese, etc. were ejected from the movement for being insufficiently progressive. Hell, Ronald Regan was always a liberal. He often said “I didn’t leave the Democrat party. The Democrat party left me.” He was an FDR true believer, but thought that LBJ went a little too far. He never ceased being an FDR-era liberal, but as the country spiraled left-ward, he came to be seen as “conservative.” If you fashion yourself a progressive, you have to be perfectly accepting of every horrible, deviant act that the human mind can conceive, because, one day, the train will get there, and if you fail to accede, you will be thrown from that train and ground under the wheels.

Yes. I’d argue that its been going on since at least the French Revolution, and likely before. Attacks on The Church led to attacks on monarchy, which led to attacks on aristocracy, etc. and on down the line. Since the 1960’s the focus has been increasingly sexual and less economic. Michel Foucault persuaded the oligarchs that the The new Left would stop criticizing their economic system, if the oligarchs granted them unlimited sexual freedom. Foucault was very influential in academic circles, and we can see where that has gone.

My family from Virginia stayed in the Smoky Mountains just last week and visited Dollywood for a day and enjoyed much of the whole region. It was our first trip and we are a family of eight / 3 generations. We have always admired and loved Dolly and her humor and generosity. Please don’t judge people in one category. We are all democrats and liberals – but we had a wonderful time and made forever memories. Thank you.

1)We lost the house and senate four years before that.
2) Hillary still got more votes Trump.
3) When an actual majority votes , and the GOP stops all the voter suppression(I live in NC, don’t even tell me there isn’t such a thing when our state GOP said it was changing rules to make sure less Democrats voted), then we can talk about who’s looney.

I didn’t read her whole article bc I’d rather listen to Carl than read that rot brain shit. But it sounds like she was trying too hard to make a bold statement and stand out in her dissertation. Instead it backfired, which often happens when you are trying to create a hot take for the hell of it. She was reaching for something that simply wasn’t there. Good luck DR. TRY HARD.

Yeah …the boobs thing really seems somehow incongruous with the REAL in her songwriting . I always wondered about that cuz as a writer who managed to actually SAT tings within the constrains of mainstream country ( along with Loretta , of course ) , very few can hold a candle to her . Especially today . When your tunes have enjoyed a shelf life of 50 years , they are touching people in a timeless way .

I’m a fairly liberal guy, and I am freakin’ done with the culture war. Writing political songs is cool (at least when they come with genuine feeling). Writing about political songs is not. Even worse when it’s political writing about songs that aren’t.

I’m just gonna listen to the new JP Harris album again and put this bad-feeling muckraking out of my mind.

As far as the changing perspective of “small towers” going to the “big city” go, I prefer what I would consider the sentiment here by McKenna / Sweeney:
“You might have to leave to see that you wanna come back
A big old world out there might change your perspective”

This makes me want to dissect Melissa Etheridge and explore her flaws and write an analytical essay. I will question my existence and study the effects and consequences that face white men in the 21st century since her rise to stardom. We will go beyond Melissa Ethridge’s carpet munching practices and delve deep into her psyche.

Sad to see country music get swept up into this race war, but some people truly are looking to destroy anything wholesome or traditional. I thought for a while this site was getting too political, but country music is under full attack. Saving country music means these days means getting political :/

The author’s early experience of her relative’s bias toward education rings true because it was transported to Michigan where I grew up. I made it through college and back again without concluding that all my relatives in and from the south were rebel flag waving cultural neanderthals whose only musical heritage was stolen, and without feeling the need the author exhibits to rewrite everything about the south to comply with a severely flawed thesis. The longer the article goes, the more she projects her beliefs {and the psychological underpinnings of a contractor’s bumper sticker) as the real Dolly Parton. It would make me upset if it wasn’t so lazy, self-serving and fanciful. To take these tired arguments and weaponize them against Dolly to justify yourself to yourself is as weak and sad as it gets.

Ding, ding, ding! I went to college and if anything had a better understanding and appreciation for our region’s history after graduating. Of course, I had a professor whom had us read almost all of Faulkner’s work.

A total shovel full of BS why in the world today some in modern culture insists on feeling guilty for the random act of being born white and southern because some of our ancestors did things that were wrong is illogical. We can’t change the past we can only learn from it. A freaking ridiculous article and premise!

Reading that was just painful for me. The notion that Dolly Parton or any other celebrity has “meaning” in my life would be a sign that I need to be parked in a retirement home. Any adult worth his/her salt defines his/her own life.

Something that is playing a major supplemental role in all of this is the idea that pop stars somehow hold almost Godlike sway over individuals, or poptimism. This is where Stan culture is blending in with identity politics, and creating the hyper out-of-touch opinions we are seeing prevailing in popular media today. This is also why people are swooning over Taylor Swift’s political endorsements, and Kanye Brown’s antics. These people are pop stars. Their opinions and actions should never be more than a side show, not what decides elections, or what should be the media’s primary focus. But to the media, their opinions are everything. It’s tantamount to idolatry, and is a very unhealthy practice for individuals, and society at large.

I believe this is downright stupidity anyone to say something negative about Dolly Parton. most people these days don’t have a clue how to respect their own self let alone anybody else. That’s the biggest problem of all the lack of respect 4 people who try to do their best to help other needy people out every way they possibly can. This is what is happening to the United States is people that want to cause problems when there isn’t any problem. You know it’s not a sin to be white. my goodness gracious how ridiculous to talk about the color of a person instead of the kind a person they are in their kindness. I think it would be wonderful if all of you crazy people that will not allow anybody to have their own opinion unless it agrees with you to pack up and leave the United States make a brand new country for all of you crazy nuts that want to dictate everything like you were living in Russia. All of these attacks on people that have done nothing wrong. God gave us all a brain to think with so I have to ask myself why rundown incredibly super people. How dare you try to take down Dolly Parton trying to trash her name. all of you crazy people that are on that left side of politics and all your thoughts of wanting to control everybody with every thought they may have is totally not American. You people need to get a life that absolutely recognizes we are all different just like our fingerprints country music has sunk as far down as it can with this new kind of rock and roll country. It truly is a shame how people have took every aspect of life that was once decent and hole to want to change everything that we average working class American people like Love and Enjoy. Who you crazy people going to pick on next? Shame on you for real.!!!!😡🤮👿👹✔✔..

Best post I’ve seen here, Candy ……well said and I appreciate you saying it .
I’m a Canadian and a political ignoramus so won’t get into a U.S political discussion. But I’m a human being first and if something rings true in my heart , I can usually trust that.

Love talented Dolly..wish she would have made more movies. Talent is what it is and criticisms are ones personal opinion.
Thanks Dolly.. I only read this because your bame appeared. Another wanting attention riding on your bame maybe?

I don’t see a ‘they’, I see an article written by 1 person, that you have provided a thoughful counter perspective on. But I do have to poi t out when you credit country music to ‘caucasians’ you neglect to mention that early country was influenced and borrowed heavily from from African and even native American. You know the banjo is an African instrument, right? And there is more than a bit of native american tradition in particularly early country vocalization. Just saying.

I explained the “They” comment above. This article is part of a running narrative.

“They” are the people who have specifically targeted country music as an institution of middle America that must be eroded or destroyed to switch the power of governance in the United States. This isn’t just one article, one author, or one instance. There are scores of these articles being published weekly, with other articles and journalists specifically goading other journalists and intellectuals to take on the country music institution, attempt to remake it in their own image, and destroy the elements that refuse to reconcile. This is nothing short of an existential threat to country music.

Country music most definitely includes African American influences via the blues and certain instrumentation, and this is something that hasn’t been given full credit over the years. However saying that country music “borrowed heavily” from African Americans, or citing the banjo reference yet again (a favorite go-to in these discussions, as if country fans don’t know this by default), or as many are saying (and Jessica Wilkerson linked to an article saying such) country music was primarily an African American art form culturally appropriated by whites, is flatly false, and is just another way to attempt to erode white culture in an effort to inflict pain and score a win in the culture war. Every single major American genre of music is primarily a black art form: Hip-hop, rock, blues, soul, r&b, jazz, and so on. But country is distinctly a white art form. Again, doesn’t mean there are not black influences, or that black artists shouldn’t be invited into the genre. But by lying and saying it’s primary or even significantly a black art form is an opinion built from anger that will not destroy racism, but create it by robbing rural whites of one of their only important cultural institutions.

Jimmie Rodgers — by any measure, a founding father of country music — did more than “borrow heavily” from African American sources: he was clearly trying to sound like them. He even began his career performing in blackface. And blackface, like it or not, is where you can find the true origins of country music (see Lovesick Blues by Emmett Miller). Your recent “Caucasian Pride” kick is turning SCM into a circle-jerk of guys who call women ‘bitches’ and people like me “fairies.” Sad.

I agree that Jimmie Rodgers was influenced by African Americans, but the effort to rewrite the history of country music as being robbed from African Americans by whites is not only factually incorrect, it is a catalyst for stoking defensive sentiments from whites, which can lead to racism. You are robbing these people of their culture under spurious pretenses, cutting down their heroes like Dolly Parton, and rewiring their history books to inflict pain on them due to unrequited political anger, and to attempt to alleviate white guilt.

I’m on no “Caucasian pride” kick. I’ve been on the side of making sure African Americans receive their proper due for the formation of country music, and making sure they receive the same opportunities as white performers if they choose to pursue the music. But if you think I am going to sit idly by as one of the most important artists in the history of country music known specifically for her efforts at altruism and inclusiveness gets torn down simply because someone needs an outlet for their white guilt instilled through academia, I’m sorry to disappoint you.

I never said country music was “robbed” from African Americans. But Jimmie Rodgers was more than “influenced” by black music: he was trying to sound black. In doing so, he came up with something new. That duality is something to be celebrated — not rebutted in a silly effort to prove that country music is “Caucasian.” I signed up for SCM because I support the real stuff, not formulaic bro-country bullshit. If it’s turning into “Saving Country Music from Liberals,” I’ll look elsewhere. As others have pointed out, there is no liberal attack on country music — just like there’s no “War on Christmas.”

For the record, I’m a big Dolly Parton fan, and I think the original article criticizing her was pretty silly. As for my politics: I’m so far to the left of liberal that I’m practically in the Tea Party.

You say you’ve deleted a few “outright racist” comments. But so far, you’ve allowed any number of homophonic slurs to stand. What’s up with that? Are you ok with calling people “butch”? “carpet munchers”? “fairies”? What about “faggots”? Is that “outright” enough for you?

I am a brown man and have been a fan of Dolly since I was in my late teens about fifty years ago. Love her music and songs and stories. She has been an inspiration to me in my life. Are you saying that white peoples are inherently evil. I beg to disagree. Stop this nonsense now!

The reason I did not write about the CMT Artist of the Year is because I do not have access to watch CMT, and the event has received ample coverage from other outlets. I don’t know why CMT continues to refuse to stream their events, which they did in previous years so that there could be more reach and participation, especially for an event such as that one. That said, I do have an article coming up on the event and will hopefully post it soon.

Everything is about race and those who have money. What the hell is going on with people today. Is this what you want your kids and grandkids to grow up knowing race wars. Because that is what happing to day..

I 100% agree with Trigger on this entire piece. Everything written by Wilkerson is entirely based off her opinions of what she feels should be right or wrong. The problem is she is using these opinions she formulated as facts to support her article. These people working at Dollywood weren’t driven to Tennessee and forced to work there. Nevertheless, Dollywood is in compliance with Tennessee labor laws. Dollywood is also not the Country Music Hall Of Fame or a historical museum used to advance culture or tell a story of what the last 100 years was about. ITS A AMUSEMENT PARK FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. They call it that because its fake and fantasy, I shouldn’t have to even type that, but Wilkerson needs to know. Trigger is right again about the “Whiteness” also. People in high places want caucasians to feel bad about being white moving forward to help show they are sorry for their past. Some people think if they can make people see white people as evil or the problem they have made an advancement in American culture. When its a direct contradiction to their message of inculsion, and love. Its sad to see this taken place, but articles like this are important in my opinion and help.

I was under the assumption that race didn’t matter. We’re all humans with the same beating hearts bleeding the same color blood I thought. Racism is racism no matter who it’s targeting. I enjoy many forms of music, tied to different ethnic groups, so I don’t get what her deal is here. I’ll not delve into my “whiteness” and shame myself for things that happened 150 years ago.

Jesus H. Christ, is this what this site has come to? Picking apart some essay on some obscure blog to prove the coming liberal apocalypse?

Saving Country Music is quickly becoming a dogwhistle for dozens of yee-haw, 2nd amendment, gun-lovin, snowflake hatin folks to come and rally around. Look at the comments above – scrape off the blatant racists and misogynists (and the anti-gay posts) and what’s left is a bunch of music fans being told, yet again, that the left is out killing their idols and looking for blood. Only “the left” is one blog poster, on one site. The original article is one person’s opinion, posted on line.

So what.

You think you’re smarter than her? More well educated? More passionate? Good. Take it up with her. But stop trying to pretend you are above it while stoking the (almost) nonexistent flames.

As I said in the article, I think Jessica Wilkerson’s article was well-written, offered good and important insight into her perspective as someone originally from East Tennessee who went on to be educated in the Northeast, and at times made important points about how we shouldn’t let celebrity blur our view of morality, or the truth. I also disagree with a lot of what she said, and offered my spirited rebuttal. This is important dialog, and I believe it is healthy. I think any “blatant racism” in this comments section is very limited, and if and when people do leave outright racist comments, they are deleted. I don’t think I am being reactionary at all. I think I am being very reasonable, and engaging in an important discussion. Your opinions and all dissenting viewpoints are also welcome to help further that discussion.

I don’t even want to comment on the bullshit. I just want to slap the shit out of the person who wrote this. Stop looking at country folks and our “whiteness” as offensive. Bitch we are white and are from the country. Our boots and flags don’t make us racist. It’s shit like this and people assuming what we think or who we are that’s given us a bad name. Shut up and sit down.

Dolly is a damn treasure to her people and to the folks where she is from. Stop putting a damn label on her and see her as she is and has been her whole life. She’s a headstrong country girl who fought for everything she has. Shut the hell up and stop looking for shit to be offended by. This is what is wrong with the world.

Sorry, but I’m done with Saving Country Music. Not only is your grasp of how racism works beyond shallow, but you can’t even be bothered to remove blatantly sexist and homophobic comments (“butch”, “armpit hair,” etc.). Outta here.

RACISM:
prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.
SEXISM:prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.
Now please explain to me your definition of how racism works. Armpit hair? Go ahead and cry and be offended and run off because that’s what your type always does. Whine and run and never get shit done. Fairy snowflake

Oh you can call us racist homophobes homophobic sexists, but you can’t handle fairy, snowflake, and little girl? Can’t expect to dish it out without getting something back! I guess you people aren’t as tolerant as you like to claim.

I actually think it’s pretty funny. Blacktop calls me a “fairy” (not because he knows anything about my sexuality, mind you; it’s just the best insult he can come up with.) I point out that “fairy” is a homophobic slur against gay people (which of course it is.) You jump in and say you don’t see anything homophobic about calling people fairies (and call me a “little girl” in the bargain). And then I get accused of “unfairly” calling people homophobes! (Taking to you, Corncaster.)

These people throw out labels and call us whatever the hell they but you call one of them something and suddenly they think we’ve proven they’re point. I’m an straight white male and I’m damn proud of it. I don’t give a shit about if anyone’s gay or not, but if I call someone a fairy, or a snowflake, I’m saying they’re a weak wimp, for lack of a more appropriate word. They’re the ones who don’t get it. Foolish bullshit idiots

Some of the comments here have been unfortunate, and I wish some commenters would understand that when they voice their opinion, they’re not just representing themselves, but the Saving Country Music community. That said, I haven’t see anything that has been outright racist, and for the record, I have deleted a couple of comments that I did feel got too close to the line. Ultimately comments are the opinions of the individuals, not Saving Country Music.

As I said in detail in the article, when you lash out against “whiteness,” especially without offering any real example of why you think whiteness is an issue, and then you unfairly attack a cultural hero of many, you’re not in any way eroding the angry sentiments of rural whites or helping to solve the racism issue, you’re stoking it. You’re becoming a root cause of it. This comments section is a perfect example of the anger people are feeling, and I’m not going to stifle people’s expressions as long as they keep it within a reasonable code of conduct.

Trig, I agree that you should answer the question. If you’ve taken down comments you perceived to be racist, why have you left numerous obvious homophobic comments? It would be consistent and principled to leave everything up, and I’d prefer that, frankly, to taking down both. But if you’re going to censor out racist talk, can you explain why you’re not censoring out homophobic slurs?

You always seem to have thought things through and have reasons for your opinions and actions. I’m not trolling and am genuinely interested in your thoughts on this.

I have deleted numerous comments posted in this comments section for being what I would deem “homophobic.” The dilemma with censoring comments is what crosses the line is in the eye of the beholder. I believe in administrating an open comments section and letting commenters police themselves. If you see something that you believe is inappropriate, call it out, attempt to educate the commenter, or refute it. I believe these comments sections should be a place for people to interact with opinions that challenge their own (myself included), which can help breed understanding. Making it into a “safe space” won’t be helpful to anyone. People will just go and be racist and homophobic somewhere else, and sometimes deleting comments only exacerbates the issues you’re trying to avoid. I’m not perfect in my policing. But when I see something that I believe clearly crosses the line, I delete or edit it. My suggestion is everyone come to these comments sections with a thick skin, and be willing to challenge anything you feel is wrong as opposed to crying to me about it.

That’s so weird — I had literally just finished typing the phrase “first world problems” in an email to a friend (about a completely different topic) when this response notification popped up on my screen!

Part of the problem too is that some commenters are laying low or ducking out on this conversation, making it one-sided. Whenever that happens, it will make the readers of this site look like one thing, instead of the more balanced community it actually is.

I completely understand that. I’m talking about that portion of commentariat that typically will use an article like this (which I’m not sure I completely agree with but is not without some nuance) to vent their culture war spleen and not really care about how that can reflect on the community.

One question for jessica…… did you take ur medication the day you wrote this? Your bipolar … what medication you ask? LITHIUM….call ur doctor right now and get on some!! I will ask Dolly to pay for it….

Don’t go dragging Dolly Parton into all this crap!! She has done what all entertainers should do. She has kept her political opinions to herself. That woman needs to apologize and LEAVE DOLLY ALONE!!!!!!!!!!

Trigger; you nailed it. You are exactly getting what is going on right now. If you hadn’t brought the attention to the article written by Ms. Wilkerson, the leftists in the Democratic party, would have use it, they still may tried, for their only purpose to provoke, confuse, distract thus spreading hatred and division. Even something as simple as ms.w. article could have the power to start a revolt given the character of President Trump’s opposition. Shame on them.
To the Christians out there let me quote A.W.Tozer “….the gospel is addressed not to reason but to faith. What can be proved requires no faith to accept. Faith rests upon the character of God, not upon the demonstrations of laboratory or logic.”
….and Joe, I agree with you 100%.

I read the original article with an increasing sense of unease, frustration and eventual anger. I felt there was an interesting article in there either about her own personal history or about Dollywood and the Dixie Stampede but the problem is that the writer decided to write both and then frame them as an attack on Dolly herself, which is frankly ludicrous. Dolly has done more good than any other contemporary musician I can think of. I didn’t retweet this article because it just seemed like a poor attempt to politicise a woman who has only tried to unite people. Your last line sums it up perfectly.

In all of her bullshit she never once talked about the millions of dollars Dolly has given to charity. Most recent was the wild fires. People like her keep this political correctness bullshit going. I thought all those assholes we’re leaving when Trump got elected. Why are they still here?

I am a liberal Democrat and rest assured, this Jessica Wilkerson (whom I’ve never heard of before) DOES NOT speak for all of us. Regardless of political affiliation, anyone with a brain knows that Dolly Parton doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. We should all be more like her.

This is a perfect example of how education has become indoctrination. Unfortunately, too many people believe educated equals intelligent, when it really means malleable to the curriculum. People used to be concerned with survival. And, now a fat, spoiled population has led to too many people with time on their hands to confuse themselves about reality.

malleable to the curriculum. Amen! Sadly, education is merely a passing on of knowledge, which, often as not, is merely opinion, typically not founded in truth, rather it is academia’s slant and academia rarely has any real world experience.

Well-written article, and rebuttal. Your point was eloquently made. Until the very last word.
I’d like to share this article on Facebook with my friends, but I hesitate. You have a grand command of the English language. Bless you for that, yet still…

Wilkerson is SJW gone wild here. I’m a barber so I work with and am around all types of people from all walks of life daily, be them clients or co-workers. considering my line of work and how long i’ve been at it (almost 11 years, now) i personally know probably around 100 barbers and hairstylists in OKC. naturally, a lot of the dudes that do hair for a living are gay in any community. all i wanted to point out here is that if i want to put some country music on in a shop i am working at with a gay dude, they always want to hear Dolly. not Shania. not Taylor Swift. not even Margo Price. it is always “throw some Dolly on, Wesley”. Whoever wrote this hit-piece on Dolly Parton needs to get it together. What a lousy article. Not your’s of course, Trigger. I’m Talklin about this Wilkerson stuff. Another good article from Trigger. 👍

Love one another! This includes loving Dolly for who she is. If you see something wrong spiritually, then you as a self-proclaimed Christian ought to pray for her. And once again, this has no more to do with the color of someone’s skin anymore than someone’s eyes do. Obviously Dolly has done what she believes the good Lord has instructed her to do. That’s what I’m responsible for as well.

Ok, who is this person? And… Why does anyone care what she thinks about southern tradition or Dolly Parton or country music? Everyone has the right to be proud of their heritage. These lib goons can go on and try to erase history all they want. Guess what?? Ya’ll won the war!! We surrendered!! It was 150 years ago! Get over yourselves and let us enjoy our music.

I cry BULLSHIT. That little girl has a dream, she stood on her faith and determined to make it real. There’s been no disrespect toward anyone in her life. She’s squeaky clean and you same stand that. Turning her courageous efforts to lift everyone in her town, community and life up from the fruits of her labors. WHICH WERE NOT HANDED TO HER ON A SILVER PLATTER. just because sometime enjoys what they do does not mean they did not work hard. She has given and given and given. She was BORN white and has no reason to apologize for the color of her skin. Let’s not forget that we’re all designed by God. In sure there are others from her area that were successful, but were any of them able, or did they even desire to give jobs to the community? Let’s not forget how despairing their lives were, how poor and hungry they were. No jobs. So she provided a job to one working family member, and because they still have trouble feeding a family of four on that wage, DOLLY PARTON should be criticized for that? Where would they be had that one family member not been given a job. Are you jealous of a woman who would give her right arm to anyone? Who say next to a stranger in a restaurant and then bought them dinner? This woman doesn’t deserve your diatribe. Such tripe. Good gave her her skin color. You feel she should apologize for that. She had treated everyone equally, says nothing bad about anyone in all her days here and for all is this, you come out of your little worm hole in life accusing her if things in sure she’s never thought of doing it being. This gives you notoriety. Are you feeling like a big woman now? Many people have read your article and you’re getting lots of attention? Does that make you feel better about yourself? After all this is the entire reason that you wrote this article; that you chose an icon to tear apart and to tell lies about. I say, shame on you. You are a jealous, sad person. Someone that can’t see the shining good in Dolly Parton and that has no business even looking upon her face. The woman was brought here to serve others, as we all are, and had done so her entire life. She is a God given Angel who has never crossed anyone or done anybody any harm. Quite the opposite again I say she has given courage and hope to a downtrodden community, to the children that have learned how to read that may not otherwise have done so, to the people who thought that they were stuck in that Hollow and that they didn’t have hope to get out and become prosperous. They didn’t have hope to make something of themselves. Much like those raised in the ghetto. As you know, they feel it’s their lot in life also. They feel they’re in a place in society where they are unable to break their chains of the past. YOU have no right to even look upon her picture and you have never come close to walking in any of her footsteps. You are a piece of trash that just decided to write an article to get people talking so that you could get some Limelight and I feel sorry for YOU. I only hope people look at the facts oh Dolly and all she’s done and not drink your poisonous Kool-Aid about how she should have dinner different her how she did a should have done it better or how she shouldn’t have been born White. Maybe we’ll look back on your life when you’re older and see what you’ve done for society could you have done anything better? Maybe you could have expended your time and it took you to write this article by putting together something great. Maybe a plan to save a bunch of people from poverty. Or maybe you didn’t have that in you. Again I say I think you’re full of it. We’re all entitled to our opinion you gave yours and I’m getting mine.

All of you are a bunch of fucking idiots!
What happened to the discussion about Dolly Parton by that other idiot that wrote the article about her???
All of a sudden it’s all about your fucking views on YOUR BIBLE TOTING BULLSHIT!!
Get a fucking life!!!

Oh and by the way, I’m a fucking whiny liberal baby who can’t stand it when people say anything I disagree with so I act out irrationally! And I also make fun of other people’s beliefs, but if someone did that about me and the liberals, we’d call them homophobic, racist, and sexist. I am such a fucking idiot! Ahh I hate my life because I’m wrong all the time….

Academic papers are often written about people. No one is “coming for” Dolly.

I used to visit this site often because I saw the value in the older style of country music. I’m glad I don’t anymore as this article is the type of biased and alarmist nonsense I except to see the MSM peddling.

This whole article wasn’t about music. It was about your comfort with your own identity and your discomfort that not everyone agrees with you. Attitudes like those in the article and mostly in the comments are one of the reasons that academic papers like this are written.

Jessica Wilkerson’s article was not an “academic paper.” Or if it was, it was not labeled as such, and so it shouldn’t be regarded in that context. This was a submission to Longreads that went viral that I wrote what I believe is a fair and thoughtful rebuttal to. You don’t want people criticizing your writing? Don’t put it out there in the wide media as was done here. This has nothing to do with the comfort of my own identity, though it is clear this is what Jessica is looking to disrupt in individuals. As I said, this is a very dubious and shortsighted exercise. Criticizing people for their “whiteness”—especially when you don’t offer any definition or explanation behind what you believe whiteness is, is a very direct genesis point for racism. In short, articles like the one posted on Longreads creates racists and racism. That is why it is imperative it is rebuffed.

This is a reply to your response a few posts below, “this” has to do with Jon’s post. If he were on topic and others here were on topic rather than indiscriminately calling folks racists and homophobes, maybe I wouldn’t respond in the fashion I have. Feel free to delete any of my posts you don’t feel are appropriate.

I love Dolly’s music. I’ll play CD’s of her early music when I’m driving with an urban, non-country music fan in my car, and they usually get it.
BTW, it seemed for a while in the ’90s that Dolly was “coming out.” She’d say interviews that her never-seen husband had no interest in music and that she traveled on the road with her long-time woman friend–and she volunteered that when traveling, the two of them would share the same bed. And she’d say coy things, like she loves her gay fans and doesn’t mind if they think she’s gay. She might have even written that in her autobiography that came out at the time.
Dolly must have discovered that that was too risky, because she stopped saying that. And in recent years, when she’s interviewed, she started bringing up her husband and actually volunteering positive things about their relationship.

I cannot imagine a person who takes me back to my own childhood as Dolly does. She has to have been there to compose and sing as she does.
It’s hard to conceive the pettiness and hatred that is apparent in this person.

As one of the old guys in the room who has listened to the whole thread, I have a couple observations and comments for those who read this far and have some unaccountable levels of generosity in their hearts. For those of you who want this to be brief, because internet etc: tough. My advice is to down a shot of something and chill out.

1. Wilkerson’s article is self-indulgent but served the purpose of promoting her bona fides in the Leftist “humanities,” where intense self-criticism by elite white people (particularly women) is probably rewarded in various ways. Professionally, she’s just looking out for #1.

2. What she foregrounds for the reader’s attention is her own biography and categories of analysis, not Dolly in all her glorious 36DD cup complexity. That foregrounding of Wilkerson is uninteresting and reductive of Dolly’s (more interesting) life and career, which deserves way more detail than Wilkerson appears willing to grant.

3. Responding to Wilkerson takes at least two unhelpful forms: a) “what a stupid b**ch,” and b) “whoever criticizes her is a racist.” Both allegations are demogoguery and contribute to the growing political canyon between ordinary Americans. (Personally, I think she’s a piece of work and would never encourage a person to date her.) It would be better IMHO to focus on why Wilkerson was motivated to write at such length about this topic. That motivation is more interesting than its result.

4. From what I gather, “whiteness” is a term used to describe “what white people believe is a full-spectrum understanding of life but is really, unbeknownst to them, a form of blindness to the realities of race-perception in the world today.” In a certain sense, the people who make that argument have a point: we all, every one of us, can take a lot of things for granted. Even among “black” people, there’s the whole business of what is “black,” or “stay black,” or “keep it in the family,” and so forth. Group-think can affect ALL of us, and it’s rarely a form of fairness or kindness.

5. Everybody seems to be on edge these days and wants to shut down the other side. The reason for this is probably deeper than politics. Personally I believe it has to do with two things: a) you’re mostly city-folks living on top of each other uncomfortably, and b) most of you don’t believe in God and the after-life, so you have no social foresight and simply want what you want RIGHT NOW. Combine those two feelings, and you get a street-fighting attitude on all sides, all the time.

6. This is a fight-or-flight response, and it expresses itself both on the political right and left. To the right, the opposition is all fascist jack-booted manipulation. To the left, the opposition is all fascist jack-booted manipulation. LOL, you’re both tools. Both camps correctly see that they have enemies, but both incorrectly believe that their opponents’ motives are always purely oppositional. This is false. I believe no one is *purely* a partisan hack. They may act like it, but deep down, everyone grants our common humanity, which is precisely what the best music taps into, and what Trig and others want to promote.

7. Last, the whole PC impulse has to die, right now. All accusations of “homophobia,” and all the subtle threats that Trig should shame delete or ban all non-conformist posts has to stop. (I’m looking at you “Ken.”) The reason it has to stop is that it aims to shut down conversation, to force some sort of compliance, and to elevate some values over others in an absolutist way. That’s a pernicious thing, and profoundly destructive. No one has to wear an “ally” badge, Ken, to be a fellow citizen. Fellow citizens can disagree and disapprove of behavior. What they can’t do is what *you* do: make everyone who is not explicitly for you, “against” you. I probably don’t have to remind a 63-year-old what that kind of impulse represents.

This is the last thing I’ll ever write on these kinds of topics. This is a music site, not a site dedicated to political philosophy. I have no expertise in that area.

But I love the music of the country, and that music is threatened by a very urban and divisive kind of politics, to its detriment. So I thought I’d comment on that.

Thanks, Trig, for the opportunity for tossing in a few cents, and my apologies for the length.

I’m asking this question with genuine honesty, what legitimate “urban” sources are trying to shut down country music? Where are y’all hearing this? A one-off article, or even several one-off articles do not create a movement. The biggest existential threat to real country music is country radio. It is not the “left.” And I do appreciate the length, clarity, and consideration you put into your post.

Urban = mass politics, demagoguery, heightened exploitable differences. It’s not a movement, but a set of conditions politicians can exploit. Urban mass politics is the flip side of countryside suspicions/provincialism. Both are focused on mobilizing identities pitted against each other more than they are focused on problems that are solvable together.

“Corncaster”: My name is actually “Ken”, so you don’t need to put it in quotes. I didn’t call for anything to be “banned.” I’m ok with either an unedited comments section — so we can see the bigots for what they are — or an edited one, in the interest of civility. But Trigger noted that he had deleted some “outright racist” posts. That led me ask to why outright anti-gay slurs didn’t also get deleted; it’s a question of consistency, not the “banning” of certain words I “don’t like” because of “political correctness.” I guess the answer is that SCM cares about racism (at least enough to delete the worst of it) but does not really care about homophobia.

The 2016 version of the word “triggered” was invented to describe all you idiots who are so upset that white people are #UNDERASSAULT in 2018 (somehow Hillary’s fault, probably).

Stupid takes have always existed. The media highlights them to get clicks/comments/ad revenue. SCM ain’t no different, it just also highlights good music. Take a step back and think how your life would be affected had you never heard of this person putting Dolly #UNDERASSAULT. I guarantee it wouldn’t be any different, because white people are not being unfairly targeted. A few more of them are being held accountable for shit, and you people are freaking the fuck out. I can’t imagine the reaction if some of you dipshits ever faced any real adversity. A thesis from some gender studies student isn’t adversity, morons.

Enough to know I’m not really facing any. Nor are white people as a whole in this country. I don’t feel guilty about it because I had nothing to do with it becoming that way, but being born a white man generally is not a hindrance and probably never will be.

This is not to say that a white person cannot encounter adversity. That’s a stupid position to have. But one bozo writing an article isn’t adversity. Dolly Parton isn’t under siege, nor is the white Christian way of life. Not by society as a whole. Step back from the sensationalist articles from the “FAKE NEWZ” media and think about whether your life has significantly changed for the worse in the past few years. I bet it hasn’t. Maybe if you raped or sexually assaulted someone there’s a higher chance you’d get charged for it now.

However, give a little more of a voice to differing perspectives and a bunch of us flip out due to the unfairness of whatever horseshit white-persecution-victim-complex narrative they want to make up. If what’s going on today riles you up, try putting yourself in the shoes of a black person in 1965. Or some places even today.

We could stand less bellyaching over inconsequential shit and more working together toward things that would actually improve the country. I know Kyle has to get his clicks, but try to keep your heads on straight about it. That’s for both sides.

Does adversity include running up 150 dollar food stamp tabs on soda and junk food, dealing prescription drugs and heroine, dealing in prostitution, and having no desire to obtain and sustain employment? Because that’s what a lot of “opressed” and “marginalized” folks around here claim as “adversity”. But then folks complain when someone has the balls to stick a gun in their face to prevent a mugging or armed robbery.

The systemic poverty of minorities in many areas that leads to such issues as high crime rates, and high unemployment/welfare rates is adversity faced by people born into it, yes. The choices of individuals to do those things you mention is not dealing well with adversity. But it’s pretty simple – when the deck is stacked against you for whatever reason, the odds are you’re going to lose more often. I’m choosing to acknowledge that on a macro level, not excuse poor choices at the individual level.

Sounds like you’re holding on to some things pretty personally, though.

I’ve asked people to please keep any further comments on this article to discussions of Dolly Parton and the relevant topics. It’s gotten way out of hand and I don’t want the comments that are on topic to get buried. Thanks for your understanding.

Trig, I think with the title “Now They Are Going After Dolly Parton,” my rebuttal that “they” aren’t going after her is pretty on point. However, it’s your sandbox and I respect your right to moderate how you choose. I would respectfully submit that deleting my response to UM’s post about an “unhinged mob,” “petulant children” and “liberal socialist agenda,” while leaving his post, seems a bit unfair.

Just as I thought. You have no actual experience, just emotion. Out of college I started a telecom engineering company with a buddy. Our first project we started on a fiber loop in downtown Chicago and with outstanding performance, we secured the prime contract on the $20m project. The caveat was we had to bill through a black owned company that took 8% of the contract with the only contribution of forwarding our checks to us after taking their cut. Being a white male is more of a hindrance that an asset in today’s business world. I’ve yet to come across a person being paid to be white, or male. Ever notice the names of the companies doing highway construction? The main benefit of being a white male, is that I didn’t buy into the narrative that I could not be successful without the government helping me. The culture of dependency is a product of the people that claim they are protecting minorities. But, in reality they have only made excuses more important than actually trying. The left depends on racism to continue, in order to keep power. If they admit racism isn’t the problem they make it out to be, they become useless.

You’re arguing against something I never said, Mike. I clearly acknowledged that white people, as individuals, can face adversity, or in this case, face a stacked deck. That sucks for you, and I don’t mean that to be snarky. However, if you’re going to seriously argue that you’ve got better odds being black than white in this country, we may as well just end the conversation right here, because we’re operating in different realities.

I think there is some merit to the latter part of your statement, though. The welfare system needs a massive overhaul.

Bro, there are jobs galore available around here for anyone who wants them, but there is a certain contingent of folks who choose not to take them, and when they do take them they rarely last longer than 6 months before quitting. This isn’t a race thing, as it includes people of all backgrounds in the area, but the contingent does include a large faction of groups traditionally considered “oppressed”. When the jobs are there, but you won’t take them, and you won’t put in any effort to better yourself, then what do you want? You’re going to have a shitty life. I worked full time while putting myself through college after high school. Yeah, it sucked sometimes but I’m better for it now. Life is what you make of it. I’m from a mostly poor family but somehow I made it work. A victim mentality ain’t helping anyone.

I agree it tends to be more of a poverty thing than a race thing. But if you look at the history of races in our country, it’s not hard to see why a couple races tend to have more poverty, and therefore more of these types of problems. I don’t have the answer to it. I’m just acknowledging the reality, and that someone writing a paper critical of Dolly Parton doesn’t put the white, country way of life at risk and isn’t comparable to the hardships minorities as a whole have often encountered in the US. People are getting a victim mentality about that, and I agree that it isn’t helping anyone.

I certainly need to be accountable for my “shit”. All I’ve ever done is work my ass off day in and day out, never been in trouble with the law, never harbored any ill will towards anyone because of their race, sexuality, gender or anything of the sort. But go ahead and hold me accountable for my “shit”. Don’t ya know I’m a time traveling slave-owner from 1855? Nah, reality is my family didn’t get to America till the late 1800’s and is full of folks who’d give you the shirt off your back.

I don’t recall saying that “Ulysses McCaskill” needs to be held accountable for his shit. I don’t recall saying “all white people (including myself, I guess?) need to be held accountable for their shit.” I said lately a few more white people are being held accountable for shit (bad shit, you know, sexual assault and such) than it seemed like they were before. If you aren’t partaking in that shit, then my statement doesn’t apply to you in any way.

Please take a deep breath and actually read what I’m saying, or ask me to clarify if it doesn’t make sense (sometimes it reads better in my head than it does to other people), before you get offended about things you imagined that I was getting at. I’m not indicting white people as a whole, or the country/small town lifestyle, in any way. I am those things. But a lot of us get way too worked up about things that don’t really affect us at all.

Ok, you mean holding white court appointments accountable for 35 year old unproven allegations? An unhinged mob acting like petulant children all in the name of advancing their liberal socialist agenda? Is that the kind of “accountability” you’re talking about? If so, we don’t need it.

Trigger, you wrote a good article regarding your feeling and frustration of another article which attempted to drag music and the artist into into the insane world of current political opinions. The comments were quite entertaining as will be mine, and mine is just one person’s thought. I am of no importance and the world does not depend on my existence so I don’t give a rat’s ass about what anyone would thinks. Still, I am motivated to write some things based on my experiences through my life about music. Regardless of genre, music has nothing to do with race. It is a reflection/verbal photograph, emotional expression of the writer’s experience(s). In all my years of music, race has never been a consideration or been a factor, other than my envy of black cultures (not necessarily Afro Americans) and their uncanny ability of transforming emotion into music. When I play/perform a song I like, I try as hard as possible to emulate the emotion put in the song. Dolly, has always been able to do that so the song touches the heart and you feel the singer’s experience. Also she has been around musically far before this these current topics came about. As time and culture changes, so does music and to associate it with racism is ludicrous. I believe everyone has at least one song that still touches a place in their heart and race does not enter that memory. My point here is music is not racially motivated however, So great is the desire to express musically to the largest number of listeners, musicians have long been victimized by those with the ability to capitalize from it and Dolly was no exception. She survived and came out on top. Governments have tried to censor music and failed. Certainly the political opinion of the day is not going to deter this most primal based human expression. “nuf said about that.
Lastly, it does not surprise me there are those who still think Jesus is about religion. Jesus came up against the religious establishments and those who thought they could judge right from wrong. If one wishes to debate this, I will not engage in it. That is strictly between you and the God of your understanding.

Dolly is a wonderful person and a true feminist icon. She is a stron woman who made it in a tough industry on her own terms. I don’t know the professor who started this ridiculous screed nor do I care to.

Jessica whoever is not a “they” – she is basically a single individual nobody who knows fully well an attack on Dolly Parton will get her blog or whatever little site she posted that on a ton of internet buzz . For all her self-important tirade she comes across basically as a (wannabe) intellectual troll. I somehow think solid criticism of someone as culturally significant as Dolly Parton would be able to get published somewhere a little more important. And shame on you Trigger for giving her the attention she so clearly wants.

Dolly Parton has been an American icon for over 40 years and a major country talent for over 50, I seriously doubt if she’s worried her work and importance will be sullied by something this minor, I don’t know why you are unless your goal, like this woman’s, is to get attention for your site.

First off, I have explained who “they” is numerous times here, as well as going into great depth who “they” is in the article itself to the point of incredible redundancy. Disagree with it all you want, but saying that this is just about one woman means you did not regard this article completely.

Longreads is not “Whatever little site.” This was not a personal blog, even though for some reason this idea continues to be asserted to refute my rebuttal. The original Dolly Parton article was posted in a massive, massive online publication, and had gone viral way before I wrote my rebuttal. The fact that it went viral is the reason it landed in my lap.

To illustrate this, Saving Country Music has 19,000 followers on Twitter. Pretty good, right? Longreads has 274,000 followers on Twitter. That means Longreads has 14 TIMES the amount of followers. The idea this was some personal blog I chose out of the ether to rip apart and make myself look good and get a bunch of clicks is ludicrous.

I’m sorry that this article became so popular. I promise to you and everyone else that from now on I will only compose content that most people ignore, that doesn’t garner any clicks, people don’t find the desire to comment on, that doesn’t resonate because of the important points made, and only post stuff to be ignored by you and everyone else because there’s a lot of “soul” in that, and that’s the true measure of “supporting the music.”

It’s hard to believe the woman who wrote this article is being serious. Hard, also, to believe she is an Associate Professor—It’s unfortunate that someone with such a wrong mentality of people is teaching others. Here’s hoping her students see her thinking and teaching on this topic (or others she might have wrong) as that, and this almost ‘sick’ mindset doesn’t affect any of them.
Dolly Parton is Gem of a person, an American Treasure. I knew she did a lot of good for others, but wasn’t aware of just how much until reading this.

Trigger–I like this Site, and am glad to have found it. I wouldn’t correct a Writer who put curse words in their articles. I figure it’s their choice, esp on your own Site like this, that the reader can either be okay with it or not read from that person. You seemed very sorry if it offended anyone, but not at all on the other article, which was done obviously in a worse way. I don’t get that, would prefer you said something about it, but if you don’t I still like being on here.
And hopefully you continue to include articles like this, that are very informative, and I think are enjoyed and appreciated by most people on here.

First off, I deleted the swear word on the Taylor Swift article, and have kep this one here. So if there was any double standard, it was in Taylor Swift’s favor.

These are two completely different instances. With the Taylor Swift article, you were offended because you thought I was using a swear work with Taylor Swift as the target. In this case, there are older, very traditional and conservative individuals who are very big Dolly Parton fans who are against the use of swear words in ANY context. Running a country music site, I always try to be mindful of this. I completely respect people who don’t like swearing. That’s why I never swear in front of my mother. Nonethess, I chose to use that word for emphasis, and many people said the final sentence was their favorite of the article, so I let it stand.

Thanks for the reply. I see what you are saying, I didn’t know you had different groups to consider based on the articles. Bottom line, I hoped you saw it as a mistake to put a curse word in her name like that, esp when you didn’t do it with Kanye West’s name. (If you had, I wouldn’t have taken offense the same, it wouldn’t seem like you were doing it to her purposely). I wrote that I don’t really mind reading curse words in an article, not going to ever point that out to a Writer, to also show the two instances seem very different.
It’s nice that you respect your mother like that. My Ma has been known to let some expletives fly, go figure. (Of course us ‘Northeasterners’ are known to have some crazy family situations, lol. 🙂
Thank You for the hard work you put into this Music Site. It is enjoyable to come to, fun to see just what you’ll write about next. No one expects you to be perfect, everyone makes mistakes, and you seem like someone who tries to correct any–we can’t ask for more than that.

It was an interesting read, mostly as a condensed and subjective history of Eastern TN, and as a first-person account of the power of Dolly’s music, and Dolly as an icon. The writer kind of failed to establish a thesis around “whiteness.” I didn’t take to mean quite what Trigger was suggesting, but it also didn’t really seem to fit well in the piece. It almost reads like she wrote this long essay about Dolly, Eastern TN, and her own personal/political journey, and then decided to go back and insert “whiteness” into the text 10 times. We shouldn’t be surprised to learn that Dollywood isn’t heaven on earth for labor practices, but there also really isn’t any harm at a taking a harder look at the Dolly legend. It only speaks to the power of her music that so many people would assume she also shares their politics. I do love when my kid gets those books in the mail every month.
I don’t know that the freakout about it warranted. From the comments it seems like more provocation for us to tear each other apart. Someone wrote about long piece about Dolly. Some of it’s well researched, some less so. Like most things written about other people, it’s actually mostly about the author. Life goes on.